Delivery system for dental agents

Abstract

Toothpaste and other dentifrices formulated to include a volume increasing agent (density reducing agent) in order to significantly increase the volume of the toothpaste at the time it is dispensed onto a toothbrush. The inventive dental compositions preferably include a substantial quantity of entrained or trapped air or other gas in order to reduce the density, and hence the weight, of toothpaste actually placed within a person's mouth. The result is a reduction in the amount of active ingredients introduced into a person's mouth that might be ingested. The entrained air or other gas can also increase the availability of the active ingredient since the foamed composition increases the dispersibility of the active ingredients within saliva. The net effect is that a person decreases the actual amount of toothpaste without decreasing the volume, or visual amount, of toothpaste dispensed on the toothbrush. The density-reduction effect can alternatively be provided by means of a lower density filler in addition to, or instead of, the entrained gas. Such fillers typically include trapped air or voids.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. A dental composition for delivering a reduced quantity of fluoride ions into a person's mouth comprising: a base composition including a fluoride ion source that provides from about 10 ppm to about 3500 ppm of fluoride ions, an abrasive solid, and a carrier selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, pastes, and mixtures thereof, the base composition having a density; and   a density reducing component dispersed throughout the base composition and included in an amount so as to yield a final dental composition having a density that is at least about 30% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 30% relative to the base composition, wherein at least a portion of the density reducing component comprises a lower density solid filler,   wherein the dental composition has a rheology such that it can be expressed onto a toothbrush as a coherent mass and a sufficiently low level of abrasiveness such that it is suitable for use in daily tooth brushing.   
     
     
       2. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the density reducing component reduces is included in an amount so as to yield a final dental composition having a density that is at least about 50% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 50% relative to the base composition. 
     
     
       3. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the density reducing component reduces is included in an amount so as to yield a final dental composition having a density that is at least about 75% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 75% relative to the base composition. 
     
     
       4. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the density reducing component further comprises a gas that is dispersed throughout the base composition during mixing such that the dental composition is pre-foamed. 
     
     
       5. A dental composition as defined in claim 4, wherein the base composition further includes a foaming agent that stabilizes the pre-foamed dental composition such that the dental composition is capable of being stored for a desired period of time within a storage container without significant collapse of the foam. 
     
     
       6. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the density reducing component consists exclusively of the lower density solid filler. 
     
     
       7. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower density solid filler has a density less than about 0.5 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       8. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower density solid filler has a density less than about 0.3 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       9. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower density solid filler has a density less than about 0.1 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       10. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower density solid filler imparts abrasive activity to the dental composition in addition to the abrasive solid within the base composition. 
     
     
       11. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the density reducing component comprises a mixture of a gas and the lower density solid filler. 
     
     
       12. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the density reducing component comprises initially compressed gas that causes the base composition to foam and expand to form the dental composition upon dispensing the base composition and compressed gas from a storage container onto a toothbrush. 
     
     
       13. A dental composition as defined in claim 12, wherein the compressed gas is premixed with the base composition and wherein the compressed gas and the base composition are initially stored together within a pressurized storage container. 
     
     
       14. A dental composition as defined in claim 12, wherein the compressed gas is stored in a compartment separate from, but in communication with, a storage container, containing the base composition such that the compressed gas is able to mix with the base composition and causes the base composition to foam and expand upon dispensing a mixture of the base composition and compressed gas. 
     
     
       15. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the fluoride ion source is included in an amount such that the dental composition provides fluoride ions in a concentration in a range from about 850 ppm to about 1150 ppm. 
     
     
       16. A dental composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the dental composition has a volume greater than about 133% relative to the volume of the base composition exclusive of the density reducing component. 
     
     
       17. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the dental composition has a volume greater than about 150% relative to the volume of the base composition exclusive of the density reducing component. 
     
     
       18. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the dental composition has a volume greater than about 300% relative to the volume of the base composition exclusive of the density reducing component. 
     
     
       19. A dental composition as defined in claim 1, wherein the dental composition has a rheology so that it may be expressed from a tube. 
     
     
       20. A reduced density dental composition comprising: a base composition including a fluoride ion source that provides from about 10 ppm to about 3500 ppm of fluoride ions, all abrasive solid, and a carrier selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, pastes, and mixtures thereof, the base composition having an density; and   a lower density solid filler, separate from the abrasive solid, having a density less than about 0.5 g/cm 3  and being dispersed throughout the base composition in an amount so as to yield a final reduced density dental composition having a density that is at least about 30% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 30% relative to the base composition,   wherein the dental composition has a rheology such that it can be expressed onto a toothbrush as a coherent mass and a sufficiently low level of abrasiveness such that it is suitable for use in daily tooth brushing.   
     
     
       21. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler is included in an amount so as to yield a final reduced density dental composition having a density that is at least about 50% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 50% relative to the base composition. 
     
     
       22. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler is included in an amount so as to yield a final reduced density dental composition having a density that is at least about 75% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 75% relative to the base composition. 
     
     
       23. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler has a density less than about 0.3 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       24. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler has a density less than about 0.1 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
       25. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler imparts abrasive activity to the dental composition in addition to the abrasive solid within the base composition. 
     
     
       26. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler comprises an inorganic filler material. 
     
     
       27. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lower density solid filler comprises hollow glass spheres. 
     
     
       28. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the lightweight filler material comprises an organic filler material. 
     
     
       29. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, further including entrained gas. 
     
     
       30. A reduced density dental composition as defined in claim 20, wherein the fluoride ion source is included in an amount such that the dental composition provides fluoride ions in a concentration in a range from about 850 ppm to about 1150 ppm. 
     
     
       31. A reduced density dental composition comprising: a base composition including a fluoride ion source that provides from about 10 ppm to about 3500 ppm of fluoride ions, an abrasive solid, and a carrier selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, pastes, and mixtures thereof, the base composition having a density; and   at least one of hollow aluminum oxide, ceramic, or glass bubbles separate from the abrasive solid and being dispersed throughout the base composition in an amount so as to yield a final reduced density dental composition having a density that is at least about 30% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 30% relative to the base composition,   wherein the dental composition has a rheology such that it can be expressed onto a toothbrush as a coherent mass and a sufficiently low level of abrasiveness such that it is suitable for use in daily tooth brushing.   
     
     
       32. A foamed dental composition for delivering a reduced quantity of flouride ions into a person's mouth comprising: a base composition including a fluoride ion source that provides front about 10 ppm to about 3500 ppm of fluoride ions, an abrasive solid, and a carrier selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, pastes, and mixtures thereof, the base composition having a density, and   a mixture of a gas and a lower density solid dispersed throughout the base composition, wherein the mixture of the gas and lower density solid is included in an amount so as to yield a final foamed dental composition having a density that is at least about 30% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 30% relative to the base composition,   wherein the dental composition has a rheology such that it can be expressed onto a toothbrush as a coherent mass and a sufficiently low level of abrasiveness such that it is suitable for use in daily tooth brushing.   
     
     
       33. A foamed dental composition as defined in claim 32, wherein the mixture of the gas and lower density solid is included in an amount so as to yield a final foamed dental composition having a density that is at least about 50% less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 50% relative to the base composition. 
     
     
       34. A method for delivering a reduced quantity of fluoride ions into a person's mouth, comprising: (a) expressing a quantity of a reduced density dental composition as a coherent mass onto a tooth brush suitable for daily brushing, wherein the dental composition has a sufficiently low level of abrasiveness such that it is suitable for use in daily tooth brushing and includes: (i) a base composition including a fluoride ion source that provides form about 10 ppm to about 3500 ppm of fluoride ions, an abrasive solid, and a carrier selected from the group consisting of liquids, gels, pastes, and mixtures thereof, the base composition having a density; and   (ii) a density reducing component dispersed throughout the base composition and included in an amount so as to yield a final dental composition having a density that is at least about 30 less than the density of the base composition in order to thereby reduce the quantity of fluoride ions delivered per unit volume of the dental composition by at least about 30% relative to the base composition, wherein at least a portion of the density reducing component comprises a lower density solid filler; and     (b) brushing the person's teeth using the tooth brush and the dental composition.   
     
     
       35. A method as defined in claim 34, wherein the density reducing component further includes a gas. 
     
     
       36. A method as defined in claim 34, wherein the density reducing component consists exclusively of the low density solid filler.